o— The Herta Space Station was originally established by the Interastral Peace Corporation as a containment facility for Herta’s collection.
Later, the Corporation proposed a joint exploration of the cosmos’s mysteries, and scholars dedicated to seeking out the new and the novel began to flock to the station to conduct their research.
The station’s basic organizational structure is formed by its various departments.
The Medical, Maintenance, Defense, and Service divisions belong to the Support Department.
The five major research departments consist of the Department of Star-Field Species, the Department of Galactic Jurisprudence, the Department of Lumina Archives, the Department of Cosmic Geography, and the Department of Universal Things.
Hua Yi was a new researcher who had recently joined the Department of Lumina Archives.
This department was created to study the Aeons and their hidden mysteries.
Beings known as [Aeons] create reality and erase stars, leaving their mark upon countless [Worlds].
Little is known about these sentient celestial bodies that wander the deep sea of stars.
Limited by their finite perception, intelligent life can only vaguely sense that the Aeons tread upon Paths unseen by mortals, wielding their immeasurable power in accordance with certain ideals.
The Department of Lumina Archives, dedicated to researching beings who transcend reality and the stars, was extraordinary in its very conception.
While it may not surpass the Department of Galactic Jurisprudence, founded in opposition to the theory that might makes right, its research philosophy should at least hold sway over the other departments.
The Department of Cosmic Geography deals with dirt and rocks; the Department of Universal Things handles the inflow, outflow, and inventory of all the station’s assets; and the Department of Star-Field Species investigates the peculiar lifeforms on planets.
How could dirt, rocks, assets, and strange creatures possibly compare to the sublimity of the Aeons?
Unfortunately, the Department of Lumina Archives rarely gets a chance to truly study the Aeons.
The way of an Aeon is its Path.
To the mortals who walk upon the Path they command, the Aeons are often indifferent.
A rare glance, cast out of approbation or pity, is enough to be revered as a supreme treasure by their followers.
Even the true master of the Herta Space Station, a genius like Ms.
Herta, has only had two recorded audiences with an Aeon.
As for the scholars gathered here, forget an audience with an Aeon—even seeing Herta herself is an immense challenge.
Her occasional appearances, controlling a remote puppet, are already a rare privilege.
At this moment, what was causing the humble researcher from the Department of Lumina Archives to break down was not the study of a recorded glance from an Aeon—such a thing was far beyond his clearance level.
It was merely a common theoretical proof, unrelated to the Aeons, that stood like a great mountain blocking his path of research.
—o— “You’ve finished reading it?” “Yes.” Hua Yi put down the project proposal.
“You used the [Imaginary Tree] theory in your derivation.
Is that where the problem is?” “I don’t know!
Isn’t that a universally accepted cosmic theory in academia?
I used it as a premise to reach the result the project required, but my superior just tore me to shreds for it…” Before the theory of the [Imaginary Tree] was proposed, the universe was once called the [Ever-Blind Void] due to its unobservable nature.
But after the theory’s birth, people could use their imagination to outline its principles: masterless Imaginary Energy flows ceaselessly through spacetime vasculature, forming what is known as a [Galaxy] at its tips—that is, an uncountable number of worlds.
And between these worlds, just as there is a spatial barrier between the leaves of a tree, lies an uncrossable, unknown domain of Imaginary void.
The Intelligentsia Guild once believed that Hanade Punchi, the second seat of the Genius Society, was the first to propose the origin theory of the [Imaginary Tree].
However, after repeated reviews of the Fictional Historians’ influence, the academic world now generally agrees that Zandar-Ichi-Kuwanbara, the first seat of the Genius Society, was the true originator.
“Could it be that I misattributed the theory’s author?
No, that’s correct…
I also read about the influence of the Fictional Historians.
I remember wanting to curse those guys for muddying galactic history and making research harder.” “That’s not the problem.
The Imaginary Tree theory has been disproven, so you can’t use it as a theorem for derivations.” “Huh?” “The theory posits that the Imaginary Tree is the tree of the cosmos, the sole constituent of the myriad worlds.
However, superluminal remote sensing technology has disproven the uniqueness of the Imaginary, proving that the universe is not composed solely of Imaginary Energy.” The explanation from the new researcher, Hua Yi, left the senior researcher stunned for a long moment.
Then, he shot to his feet, rushed to the terminal in a few strides, and used his research credentials to search for keywords.
His frantic movements caused the visitors in the reception hall below to look up, their faces a mixture of respect and curiosity as they watched the station’s researcher run about, his expression shifting constantly.
“It’s true…
it’s really true.
So the problem was in this step of the derivation all along.
No wonder my superior rejected the report so quickly.
It seems my knowledge base still isn’t broad enough…” Having found the root of the problem, the senior researcher was ecstatic, his earlier depression completely gone.
He treated the rejected report as scratch paper, picked up a pen, and began scribbling calculations on it.
“No wonder, no wonder!
I saw some limiting conditions in the later formulas that were never used in the end.
So that’s why, that’s why!” A while later, after calculating a result that met the experiment’s requirements, the researcher finally let out a long sigh of relief.
All that was left was to rewrite the report.
Then, a sudden realization struck him.
He looked up in shock, staring at Hua Yi in speechless astonishment for a long time before he could finally speak.
“You…
In that short amount of time, you found the problem in my derivation?!
The Imaginary Tree theory is not common knowledge on most planets, and neither are terms like the Genius Society or the Fictional Historians.
The paper that disproved the theory is also highly specialized…
You’ve only been at the Herta Space Station for a few days.
How do you already have this level of knowledge?!” “I just happened to have read the relevant materials.
It was just good luck.” “How can you just brush it off as good luck?
Most people who come to work at the station get their heads spun by all the information.
You clearly haven’t been to the Maintenance Department; that place is a famous tourist spot for witnessing the lower limits of intelligence.” “I think the others in the Department of Lumina Archives didn’t explain the error in your derivation probably because it’s a common one.
Many people make the same mistake.
The seniors have probably explained it countless times to past researchers, so they’ve lost patience after seeing it happen so often.” “Hey now, you don’t have to console me.
Thank you so much for this—I’ll give you my project bonus!” “How could I take your payment for your labor?
Just let me know in the future if you come across any particularly interesting projects.” “Alright, alright!
I’ll go rewrite the report and submit it.
If there are no more problems, I’m going to get a good night’s sleep!
I haven’t slept properly in days, unable to find the problem on my own and too afraid to ask anyone else.
I never thought you’d be the one to help me out in the end.
Heh, now that you mention it, I’m the one who got lucky today, huh?” —o— CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Aleph_0 show some support!